Guinea Pig

Scientific Name: Cavia porcellus

Indigenous to South America, with fossil records extending as far back as 9,000 B.C.. Scientists believe that guinea pigs were domesticated from a now extinct wild species that lived in northern and western South America. Learn more about guinea pigs.

  • Length: 8 to 10 inches
  • Weight: 25 to 39 ounces
  • Diet: Lettuce, cabbage, grasses, barley and Timothy hay
  • Habitat: Andes mountains and live at altitudes of more than 14,000 feet
  • Range in the Wild: Andes mountains, from Peru to Argentina

Conservation Status

Not evaluated.

Revised 4/29/26

Two Guinea Pigs